6 Things to Know to Grow Parsley Successfully

Parsley is one of the best known and probably most consumed aromatic plants. However, novice gardeners often complain about the difficulties in getting it to germinate and grow properly in their vegetable garden. A few tips may therefore be useful…

1 – PLANT PARSLEY CORRECTLY 

If you buy your parsley in a pot, you will need to plan to repot it fairly quickly in a larger pot or put it in the ground after purchase.

• Parsley likes the sun but fears situations that are too hot during the hottest hours.
• This ensures that the plant grows in the best conditions.

2 – SOWING

Soak the seeds overnight in warm water before sowing to speed up seed germination, which is erratic and can take up to a month. Some people mix the seeds with coffee grounds before sowing, which retain water for a long time. Similarly, a damp jute bag placed on the sown soil will maintain moisture conducive to good germination, especially during summer sowing.

Sow in open ground, in rows or borders, from April to July. Thin out afterwards to 7-8 cm. Use fresh seeds, as the germination period is limited to three years.

Sowing under cover, in a market garden tunnel or in a greenhouse can be done from March. This plant hates transplanting.

3 – MAINTENANCE

Weed and water if the weather is dry. Parsley is quite sensitive to drought, which causes it to yellow or go to seed prematurely. You can place mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing.

In regions with winters without very cold weather, parsley can remain outdoors without protection. Otherwise, it must be grown in a tunnel or a pot brought inside the house to continue harvesting leaves at the beginning of winter.

4 – DISEASES AND PESTS

Parsley is a hardy plant that rarely suffers from diseases.

• Slugs: Beware of slugs during germination.
• Rust: Red spots appear on the leaves. Remove affected leaves.
• Powdery mildew: white spots appear on the leaves. As with rust, remove affected leaves.

5 – WHEN TO HARVEST YOUR PARSLEY?

Once the leaves are firmly in place, you can harvest your parsley as needed, taking care not to uproot your plants. It is best to use scissors to avoid this.

To encourage parsley to grow, don’t hesitate to cut the stems often.

6 – ARE YOU GOING ON VACATION?

• Before you leave, cut off the tops of the parsley stems and freeze them for later use.
• Water the other stems well in a dilution of liquid fertilizer to stimulate new leaf growth.

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